A poll by Portugal’s Catholic University for public broadcaster RTP estimated that the Socialists collected between 37%-42% of the vote on Sunday, with their main rival, the centre-right Social Democrats taking 30%-35%.
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The centre-left Socialist Party won the most votes in Sunday's legislative election in Portugal and is close to securing an absolute majority.
With more than 98% of the votes counted, the Socialists (PS) secured nearly 41.65% of the vote while their centre-right rivals, the Social Democrats (PSD), had managed to get 27.94%.
The far-right Chega (Enough) party made significant gains and was third with 7.15% of the vote.
The snap election was triggered two months ago when lawmakers rejected the minority Socialist government’s spending bill and the country’s president dissolved parliament.
Opinion polls had suggested that the Socialists and Social Democrats were in a tight race.
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Here's are the key points
- An exit poll estimated the Socialist Party has a slim lead over its main rival, the Social Democrast;
- This means the centre-left party will once more likely need the support of other left-wing parties to govern;
- The far-right Chega! (Enough!) party is expected to see its support soar to about 6% from just 1.3% back in 2019.
Social Democratic leader says result is 'substantially below' expectations
With nearly 99% of the ballots counted, PSD had secured 27.91% of the vote, well below the 41.65% secured by the PS.
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Socialists have 10-point lead over nearest rival as 63% of ballots counted
Socialist Party win the most votes, exit poll suggests
Parliament probing potential election day hack
The parliament's official website was unavailable in France for a short time on Sunday evening.
1.2 million people in COVID-19 isolation
More than 1.2 million people were in isolation on Saturday due to the pandemic across Portugal, according to the Directorate-General for Health.
These include 591,969 with active infection and 611,042 risk contacts under surveillance.
The country's total population is 10.3 million.
Prime Minister Costa voted early
Opposition leader Rui Rio casts his ballot
Need a refresher on why these elections are taking place?
Mid-day turnout higher than in 2019
What the Social Democrats have pledged
The centre-right party is promising income tax cuts and more help for private companies, cutting corporate tax from the current 21% to 17% by 2024.
What the Socialists have pledged
The centre-left party has promised to increase the minimum monthly wage, earned by more than 800,000 people, to €900 euros by 2026. It is currently €705 euros.
The Socialists also want to “start a national conversation” about working four days a week instead of five.